Biographies

Emmeline Deane (?-1944) A painter of portraits and miniatures, she lived in Bath, Box (Wiltshire), and London. She was a cousin of John Henry Newman, and painted two portraits of him (now in the National Gallery and not reproducible here). Newman at first resisted her request, writing as follows: My dear Emmeline,—It would be a great pleasure and favour to me to be painted by you. These are not idle words, and I should rejoice to see you. But my time is not my own. It is not now my own as if I were young, and I {528} have much to do, and have no certainty when the supply of time will cease, and life end. ‘You may recollect the histories of St. Bede and St. Anselm. They were each of them finishing a great work, and they had to run a race with time. Anselm did not finish his—but Bede just managed to be successful. Anselm was 76—but Bede was only 62. I, alas, alas, am 86. ‘What chance have I of doing my small work, however much I try? and you lightly ask me, my dear child, to give up the long days, which are in fact the only days I have! ‘The only days I have, because it is my misfortune not to be able to read by candle-light, and at this very time, though March has begun, I am anxiously waiting day by day, though as yet in vain, for the morning light to be strong enough to enable me to say Mass without the vain attempt to use a candle. ‘I must add that now for two years I have lost the use of my fingers for writing, and am obliged to write very slowly in order to form my letters. ‘It is all this which hinders my saying categorically “yes” to your kind, and, to me, welcome question. ‘But I will say this—I am labouring to carry two volumes of “St. Athanasius” through the press—I fear this will take at least half a year—this must be—but I know no excuse, if it suits you, why you should not write again to me then, if I am then alive. Yours affectly, JOHN H. CARD. NEWMAN. (http://www.newmanreader.org/biography/ward/volume2/chapter35.html)